Michael's Story : Hockey, Kids & Positive Coaching

"Michael's Story: Hockey, Kids & Positive Coaching" is an inspirational sports novel for children and adults written by Christopher Meuse.

Meuse is a retired educator. Michael had always dreamed of becoming a hockey player, and, when he heard the announcement on the PA at school for minor hockey signups, he couldn't believe his ears.

He rushed home to tell his mom about it and assured her that hockey wasn't rough, and that he'd be just fine.

Michael and his dad watched Hockey Night in Canada every week, and now he'd get his chance to be one of those heroes on the ice.

His mom and dad agreed to let him try it, and he soon found himself in front of his mirror in full hockey garb.

He felt a bit clumsy at first, and slipped on the ice and fell during his first practice, but, despite the rocky start, he loved hockey -- and he was good at it!

His coach was supportive and showed him different ways to adjust his skating style.

Michael felt good knowing his parents were sitting there with big smiles on their faces as they watched him stick-handling the puck like a real player.

The season flew by, and before he knew it, it was April.

He couldn't wait until hockey season returned in the fall.

But when the season started up again, Michael began to notice that the adults would get angry and impatient when things didn't go right, and his dad began to criticize everything he ate.

During a particularly challenging game, he noticed his parents were upset, and his coach's face was red and angry.

Hockey just didn't seem to be so much fun anymore, and his feet didn't fly over the ice the way they used to.

He decided to write Don Cherry a letter and ask for his advice, and was thrilled by Don's response.

Michael began to realize that hockey could be fun again, if everyone could just stop getting caught up in the winning and scoreboards and focus on the good things that happen during even the worst game.Christopher Meuse's inspirational sports novel for children and adults, "Hockey, Kids & Positive Coaching", is a marvelous cautionary tale that applies to any team or competitive sports that kids get involved in.

It's a perfect reminder for parents who may sometimes find themselves venting a week's worth of frustration at work during their son or daughter's Little League soccer or hockey game. And while a talented young athlete may want to be guided and trained for a professional sports career, parents and coaches should always remember that their critical responses and behavior during practice and games can have a devastating impact on how those young athletes feel about themselves and their performance. "Hockey, Kids & Positive Coaching" is a gentle reminder that things can get out of hand sometimes, and it's a good thing to step back and remember what children's sports are all about.

This well-written and fun-to-read book addresses an important issue for children, coaches and parents, and it's most highly recommended.